Valve



MarhY '3, 1953 c. c. BROWN VALVE Filed April 22. 1949 2 SHEETS--SHEET l (.0 II'I C/cero C. Brown INVENTO/" www? ga/5&1@

March 3, 1953 Q Q BROWN 2,630,178

VALVE Filed April( 22. 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 C`lcero C. Brown ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 3, 1953 U N I TED STATE S PAT T G F F I-.CE

VALVE `Cicero C. Brown, Houston, Tex. Application April 2 2, 1949, Serial VNo.` 89,019

`'l' Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in `valves and relates particularly to ll-up valves employed for `controlling the lling of wellpipe as the same is lowered within a `well bore.

A well pipe,suchas wellcasing, which is to be lowered into a well bore is ordinarily equipped with a back check or cementing `valverat its lower portion and said valve is upwardly closing so as to prevent admission of-fluid from the well bore into thepipe during the lowering operation and thereby protect against a blowout through the pipe. However, after 4the pipe is landed in `its iinal position withinthe bore, cement is pumped downwardly through the pipe and outwardly past the backcheck or cementing 1valve into the formation around the lower portion of the pipe to bond thepipe to the sub-surface formation.

` `As is well known, itis not generally desirable to run the entire pipestring dry and it is therefore the usual practice to fill the bore of the pipe .withfluid during the lowering operation. The pipe is `ordinarily filled by pumping fluid from 4the mud pit linto said pipe, with the introduction of ,fluid being `carried out periodically, as

`for example, upon the running of each two or three sections or stands of pipe. The filling operation requires holding the pipe Astationary and Aconsiderable time is4 consumed `in connecting yand disconnecting the pump outlet to the pipe andin actually carrying out the iilling operation. Filling of the pipe Linthie `meneer resulte inleet rig ,time 4and `additional laboronthe vDart of the crew and has the additional disadvantage of possibly sticking the pipe during the time that the pipe `is V4held stationary; also since the pipe is Vlled from the mud pit at thesurface, `the par- `provide an improved ll-up valve `for well pipe which will effect filling of the pipe by 'fluid from within the well bore and which is so constructed that the cementing operation maybe carriedout ,in the usual manner after the well pipe has been 'landed in its final position in the well bore.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved valve adapted `to be mounted inthe lower portion of a well pipe and functioning to automaticallycontrol llingof the pipe vby fluidfrom the well' bore as said pipe is lowered therein; said valve also includingapositve back .check closure means which iprevents a blowout through the pipe Vin the event excessive pressures develop inthe well bore.

Another object is Ato providelan improvedvalve, or" the character described, `which islactuated `by the pressure udifferential thereacross and which operates to open theinlet to the pipe during lowering movement of the pipe and to close said `inlet when a predetermined volume of uid has been admitted te the pipe whereby `llins of the eine eeeurs autemetieally during lowering` Qfeadppe tothereby obviate the necessity of iillingthe pipe from the surface.

A further Objectis to providea fill-up valve for well pipe wherein the valve elementfextends transversely acrossthe major portion of the bore ofthe pipe andhasone side exposed to the pressure within the pipe bore with its opposite lside exposed to the pressure within `the well bore, whereby the valve `is actuated bythe differential in suchpressures.

Still another Objectis to provide a valveof the character described, wherein the valve ,element which is operatedbythe pressure diierential thereacross may comprise a plurality of :pivoted-metallimniembers or Vmaybe a single lan- 1 nular resilient member whichv substantiallyI spans the bore of `the -pipe within-which `the valve mounted.

Other and further objects of -the invention will appear `from the descriptionof `the-invention.

`In the accompanying drawings, which forrn a part of the-instant speciiication, which' areto be i'ead `in conjunction therewith and ,wherein like `reference numerals are used to indcate'likelpvarts in the various views:

Figure 1 is atransverse, vertical-sectional view of a fill-up valve, constructed ifnfaccordance with the invention, with `the ailing valve element in a closed position, L

`Figure `2 is a `similar view with the valvepelement which controls filling in an open position,

Figure 3 is -ahorizontal cross-sectionalview,

lFigure 4 is a view, similar toligure 11, illus- "ireirle emedifediermef rali/e elemeetfereen- Ntrolling llna Seid element leeinefin e .closed position,

`Figure-5 is a view, simlarto-Figure 4 with the lling valve open, Figure 6 is a view, similarto l'igures land 5 4and illustrating position 0j ythe! parts whgn the ,cementing operation lis being carried out through the valve, and Figure 7 is alhorizontal Aeros's-sectional view,

taken entheflne- 1-1-1 :irrigare 4.

In the drawings, the numeral I designates a valve device or unit which is adapted to be connected in the lower portion of the casing string (not shown) and which is arranged to control the entry of iluid from the bore of the well as the pipe or casing is lowered through the fluid within said bore. The valve device includes an outer tubular housing or body I I which is formed with an internally threaded box I2 at its upper end whereby the device may be readily attached to the lowermost section of the well pipe A. The lower end of the body or housing II has a perforated plug I3 threaded therein and said plug is formed with a plurality of fluid inlet openings I4. Intermediate the ends of the body or housing are located a plurality of outlet ports I5 which establish communication between the interior of the body and the well bore. An upwardly closing valve disc I6 having an external annular seating surface I1 is slidable within the lower portion of the 'bore of the housing II and the surface I1 is adapted to engage an internal annular valve seat I8 formed within the bore of the housing when the valve disc is in its raised position.

An axial bore I9 extends through the valve disc and a depending collar which is externally threaded surrounds the bore. A sleeve 2I is threaded to the collar 20 and has a bore 22 which is of substantially the same diameter as the bore I9 through the valve disc. A plurality of radially extending guide wings or projections 2S are formed integral with the sleeve member 2l and function to guide the sliding movement of the valve disc I6 within the bore of the housing. A coil spring 24 which has its lower end engaging a transverse perforated partition 25 within the plug I3 and which has its upper end engaging an annular shoulder 26 provided on the sleeve member 2| functions to exert its pressure to urge the valve disc assembly upwardly within the housing, whereby the seating surface I1 of the valve disc IB is maintained in engagement with the valve seat I8. f A back check valve 21 is adapted to close the bore 22 of the sleeve member 2l by engagement with a-beveled seat 28 provided at the lower end of said bore and the valve 21 has a stem 29 which extends upwardly and axially within the bore. The upper portion of the stem is slidable within aguidespider 30 disposed in the bore of the sleeve member. 2| and a coil spring 3| which is conned between the spider and the head 21a of the valve v21 constantly urges the valve to a lower or open position.

With the spring 24 maintaining the valve disc assembly in a raised position in engagement with the valve seat I8, fluid entering the lower por- 'tion of the bore of the housing II may normally pass upwardly through the bore of the sleeve member 2i and the bore I9 of the valve disc IB.

"If the pressure of this fluid becomes excessive 'such excessive pressure will move the check valve l 2 1to its .upper or seated position to completely close ff any flow through the valve assembly and rpressure becomes excessive.

For controllingthe admission of the well uid finto the well pipe a hinged valve V is mounted `on the upper end of the valve disc I6 and this valve comprises a pairof complementary hinged sections 32, each section being pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 33 within upstanding ears 33a '4 formed on the valve disc. A coil spring 34 is associated with each hinged section and said springs constantly urge the sections toward each other to the position shown in Figure l, in which the valve V is closed to prevent flow in either direction to the interior of the well pipe above said Valve. As illustrated, each section is generally semi-circular as viewed from above (Figure 3) and said sections are adapted to be swung on their respective pivots against the tension of the spring 313 to the position shown in Figure 2 whereby a flow through the valve sections may' occur. It will be evident that the under side of the valve sections are normally exposed to the pressure of the fluid Within the Well bore while the upperV surfaces of said sections are exposed to the pressure within the well pipe to which the housing II is connected. The pressure of the springs 34 is added to the pressure within the well pipe and by varying the strength of these springs the differentials in pressure across the valve which are necessary to move the valve to an open position may be controlled. Although the valve V is illustrated as made in two pivoted sections it is evident that said valve may be constructed of three, four or any desired number of sections or segments, each of which would be suitably pivoted to swing upwardly to an open position.

In the operation of the device or unit I0 said unit is connected to the lower end or in the lower portion of the well pipe string and is lowered downwardly through the fluid within the well bore. When first introduced into the the well bore the parts will be in the position as shown in Figure l with the valve disc I6, which may be termed the cementing valve, in its upper closed position and the back check valve 21 in its low, ered open position; the Valve V will be closed with its sections being maintained closed by the springs 34. As the well pipe is lowered through the fluid within the 'bore the kinetic pressure which is built up due to the movement of the pipe string into the well fluid will result in an impact pressure against the surface of the sections 32 of the valve V whereby'the sections are swung to an open position to admit the fluid from the well bore into the interior of the well pipe A. It is noted that the pressure of the spring 3| on the check valve is sufficient to maintain the check valve open against the normal kinetic pressure developed during the lowering operation so that said check valve remains open to allow the pressures to act against the valve V under normal conditions.

An iniiow of fluid into the well pipe continues until a sufcient volume of fluid has been admitted to the pipe so that the hydrostatic head pressure of such admitted fluid plus the pressure of the springs 34 is suiiicient to overcome the pressure acting against the under side of the sections 32 of the valve V. When this occurs, the hydrostatic head pressure of the admitted uid overcornes the pressure acting to hold the valve open and the sections 32 are returned to their original closed position to close the valve V as shown in Figure l. The valve V remains closed until continued lowering through the iiuid column again increases the pressure acting against the under side ofthe valve V and when this occurs the valve is again opened to admit additional fluid. The admission of such additional duid continues until the head pressure of the admitted fluid plus the spring is again suiiicient to overcome the pressure acting against the under side of the valve sections 32 whereby the valve is again closed.

The alternate opening and closing ofthe valve controlled solely by the differential in pressures acting there-across continues as the pipe is lowered through the fluid within the well bore and by the time the pipe is landed in its nal position the desired volume of iiuid has been admitted to fill the pipe in a desired manner. It is obvious that if excessive pressures are developed within the well bore during the time of lowering of the pipe such excessive pressure will be sufficient to overcome the tension of the spring 3| which normally holds the check valve 21 in its open position and the check valve 21 will be closed to shut off flow upwardly through the bore 22 of the sleeve member 2l and bore I9 of the valve disc I6. This effects a positive shut ofi of upward flow of fluid into the well pipe and vassures protection against a possible blowout during the lowering operation.

After the pipe has been lowered to its final position cement may be pumped downwardly through the well pipe in the usual manner and acting against the valve V which is mounted on the upper surface of the cementing valve disc l5 will function to move the valve disc i6 downwardly against pressure of its spring 24S whereby the outlet ports I5 in the housing will be opened to permit a discharge of cement outwardly into the well bore. Therefore, after the well pipe has been inally landed in position a cementing operation may be carried out in the usual manner.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the device provides a means whereby the well pipe or casing may be automatically iilled by fluid from within the well bore as said pipe is lowered through said bore. A positive protection against blowout in case of excessive pressures within the bore is provided by means of the back check valve 2l. The entire structure is such that after the pipe is lowered into position the ordinary cementing operation may be accomplished.

In Figures 4 to 7 a modied form of the invention is illustrated. In this form the Valve disc I5 and the valve V are omitted and an elastic valve element 35 is substituted therefor. The valve element is constructed of rubber, rubber compound or other elastic material and has la normal shape which is generally conical or tapered toward its upper end. The base portion 36 of the valve element is molded or otherwise secured to a flanged supporting collar 31 and a sleeve member Zia is secured to the lower end of the collar. The sleeve 2id is similar in construction to the sleeve 2! of the rst form and has the back check' valve 21 mounted therein, while its external surface is formed with a plurality of radial guide wings or ribs 23a. A coil spring 24a normally urges the valve assembly upwardly whereby an annular beveled seating surface 38 on the valve element is engaged with a valve seat 39 mounted within the body or housing Ila of the device.

'I'he valve element 35 has a tapered bore 3B' which is reduced toward its upper end and which terminates in a restricted passage Ml. The upper end of the passage lill is further reduced whereby a relatively small orifice 4l is formed axially in the upper end of the element. The lower end of the bore of the element communi- Cates through the opening 31a in the supporting collar and the bore of the sleeve member 2 la with the interior of the housing below the valve assembly. Inlet openings Illa are formed in a plug member i3d threaded in the lower end of the body or housing Ila while outlet ports a are formed in the wallof the housing.

`The operation of this form of the invention is substantially the same as the first form4 shown in Figures 1-3. The housing Illa is connected to the lower end or in the lower portion of the well pipe and the valve element 35 is normally in the position shown in Figure 4 with said valve element being in its upper position engaging the valve seat 39 and closing the outlet ports I5a. The back check valve 21 is maintained in its open position by its spring 3l. As the device is lowered through the fluid within the well bore the kinetic pressure which is developed as a result of said lowering acts within the tapered bore 39 of the valve element 35 and since said member is constructed of an elastic material this pressure functions to expand or stretch the element to enlarge its bore as illustrated in Figure 5, whereby the fluid from the well bore may enter the well pipe. When the fluid which has entered the well pipe attains a predetermined hydrostatic head pressure which, added to the normal inherent resiliency of the element 35 is sunicient to overcome the pressure of the iiuid acting within the bore of the element, said element is returned to its initial unexpanded position to substantially shut off further inflow of iiuid from the well bore into the well pipe. It is noted that in such unexpanded position the small orifice may remain open so that actually there may never bea positive shut off through the elastic element; rather the diameter of the bore of the element is varied in accordance with pressure conditions to provide for a controlled filling of the well pipe.

After a predetermined entry of fluid has occurred and the element 35 has returned to its initial unexpanded position, continued lowering of the device to a point where the pressureexteriorly of the pipe is sufcient to overcome the pressure within the pipe acting downwardly on the valve element, the valve element again spreading or expanding to enlarge its bore to admit additional liquid and the intermittent opening and closing of the valve element 35 in accordance with pressures acting on opposite sides thereof continues until the pipe has been lowered to its final position within the bore. At such time proper filling of the pipe by the fluid from within the well bore has been carried out. It is obvious that if a blowout threatens at any time during the lowering operation, the check valve 31 will be moved upwardly toclose any flow upwardly within the pipe.

After the well pipe has been properly positioned in the well bore the usual cementing op eration may be completed by merely pumping cement downwardly through the well pipe and such cement will act against the upper end of the valve element 35 and will move the complete valve assembly downwardly as illustrated in liig ure 6, whereby the seating surface 38 of the valve element moves away from the valve seat 39 and uncovers the outlet ports l5a through which the cement is discharged.

In both forms of the invention it ispreferable that the various internal parts of the device be constructed of a material which may be readily drilled out whereby after the cementing operation is complete thesaid parts may be drilled out in the usual manner to open the lower end of the well pipe. In both forms the differential in pressures acting on opposite sides of the ll-up valve, either valve B in Figure: l or the valve element 35 in Figure 4, actuates the valve'to effect automatic filling of the pipe during lowering thereof; Also in the` devices` illustrated. .apositive shut on of the well ppe will occur in case of a threatened blowout and yet the assembly is so constructed that an ordinary cementing operation may be accomplished in the usual manner following the final positioning of the well pipe within the well bore. Although only a single valve device is illustrated and described as mounted in the lower end or lower portion of the well pipe it is noted that several of the valve devices may be disposed in spaced relation in said pipe; in such event, the pressure drop occurring across each device would be lessened since the overall pressure drop is distributed over a plurality of devices, whereby excessive wear on the parts of each device due to abrasion caused by high velocity flowing liuid, is reduced.

. From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain al1 of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be ernployed without reference to other features and subcombinations. |This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A ll-up valve device for a well pipe which is adapted to be lowered within a well bore having fluid therein including, a tubular body adapted to be connected in the lower portion of the well pipe and having a uid inlet whereby fluid from the well bore may enter the body and now into the well pipe, a valve assembly mounted in the bore of the body and including an upwardly closing valve member and also including a valve element for controlling admission of iluid into the pipe and actuated by the pressure diierential thereacross, said valve element being opened when pressure in the well bore exceeds the pressure in the well pipe, and closing after a predetermined volume of huid has entered said pipe, and a back check valve forming part of the assembly for shutting oil all flow into the well pipe in the event the pressure in the well bore becomes excessive, said upwardly closing valve member, said valve element and said back check valve of said valve assembly being connected together for axial movement in said tubular body.

2. A ll-up valve device for a well pipe which is adapted to be lowered within a well bore having fluid therein including, a tubular body adapted to be connected in the lower portion of the well pipe and having a fluid inlet whereby fluid fromthe well bore may enter the body and flow into the well pipe, a valve assembly mounted in the bore of the body and including a valve element for controlling admission of fluid into the pipe and actuated by the pressure differential thereacross, said valve being opened when pressure in the well bore exceeds the pressure in the well pipe, and closing after a predetermined volume of iluid has entered said pipe, a back check valve forming part of the assembly for shutting off all ilow into the well pipe in the event the pressure in the well bore becomes excessive, said body having cementing outlet ports, and an upwardly-closing cementing valve forming part of the valve assembly and normally preventing outward iiow through the outlet ports, said cementing valve being adapted to be actuated to allow ilow through the outlet ports by pressure from within the well pipe, said valve element, said back check valve, and said cementing valve of said valve assembly being connected together for axial movement in said tubular body.

3. A valve device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the valve element which controls the admission of fluid into the well pipe is formed of a plurality of pivoted sections.

4. A valve device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the valve element which controls the admission of liuid into the well pipe comprises an expansible member of elastic material having a central bore therethrough.

5. A lill-up valve device for a well pipe which is adapted to be lowered within a well bore having iluid therein including, a tubular body adapted to be connected in the lower portion of the well pipe and having a fluid inlet whereby fluid from the well bore may enter the body and flow into the well pipe, said body having cementing outlet ports leading from the bore thereof, a valve assembly mounted within the bore of the body and including an upwardly closing cementing valve which normally prevents outward flow from a well pipe through said outlet ports and which is arranged to be moved downwardly by predetermined pressure within the well pipe to permit outward low through said ports, said cementing valve having an axial flow passage therethrough, and a valve means consisting of a plurality of pivoted sections mounted on the cementing valve for controlling the ow through said passage, and means for actuating said valve means by the diiferential in the pressures acting on opposite sides thereof, together with a back check valve mounted in the lower portion of the flow passage and normally maintained in an open position, and means for closing said back check Valve to shut oi flow through the passage when the well bore pressure becomes suiiiciently excessive to threaten a blowout.

5. A lill-up valve device for a well pipe which is adapted to be lowered within a well bore having fluid therein including, a tubular body adapted to be connected in the lower portion of the well pipe and having a fluid inlet whereby fluid from the well bore may enter the body and flow into the well pipe, said body having cementing outlet ports, a valve assembly mounted within the bore of the body andincluding an upwardly closing 'ementing valve which normally prevents outward flow from the well pipe through said outlet ports and which is arranged to be moved downwardly to open the ports by predetermined pressure within the well pipe, said cementing valve having an axial flow passage therethrough, said cementing valve being formed of elastic material and having its upper portion tapered and coneshaped with the flow passage extending entirely therethrough, the bore of the cone-shaped portion being exposed to the pressure within the well bore and the outer surface of said portion being exposed to the pressure within the well pipe, whereby said tapered portion is expanded and retracted to open and close the bore therethrough by the differential in pressures acting on opposite sides thereof.

7. A valve device as set forth in claim 6, together with a back check Valve mounted in the lower portion of the iiow passage and normally maintained in an open position, and means for closing said back check valve to shut ofi iow through the passage when the well bore pressure becomes sumciently excessive to threaten a blowout.

CICERO C. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file o! this `I` atentz UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Kennedy June 27, 1911 Baker Nov. 17, 1925 Kuehne June 19, 1928 Creighton Feb.. 8, 1938 Nicks Novt. 8, 1938 Swart Feb. 2'?, 1940 Scaramucci July 8, 1941 

